Conditions for the KOSDAQ 3000 Era: A Call for Identity and Institutional Reform
Global Economic Times Reporter
korocamia@naver.com | 2026-02-11 12:45:56
South Korea has declared a "National Entrepreneurship Era," actively fostering a third venture boom. While the barriers to starting a business have lowered, the KOSDAQ—the "stage of opportunity" for scaling up—remains dysfunctional.
Launched in 1996 as the world's second growth-stock market, KOSDAQ's performance falls short of expectations. Despite hosting over 1,800 companies (nearly double the KOSPI), its market capitalization is only 20% of the KOSPI's. While the NASDAQ has grown 18-fold since 1996, fueling giants like NVIDIA and Apple, KOSDAQ has stagnated around the 1,000 mark.
The fundamental difference lies in capital scale and the philosophy of "waiting." NASDAQ thrives on long-term institutional capital that assigns premiums to future value. In contrast, KOSDAQ is dominated by short-term retail trading, becoming a "swamp of undervaluation."
To prevent an "IPO Exodus" and revitalize the exit market, we need three decisive actions:
- Independent Identity: Separate KOSDAQ from KOSPI with specialized listing standards.
- Dynamic Circulation: Lower entry barriers but implement a swift delisting system for underperforming firms.
- Institutional Investment: Mandate the inflow of pension funds to provide stable "patient capital."
KOSDAQ 3000 is not just a number; it is a structural barometer for the sustainability of our innovative economy.
WEEKLY HOT
- 1Moltbook
- 2Mandatory Driver’s License Surrender for the Elderly: "Right to Life" Must Precede "Right to Mobility"
- 3Discovering Jinan: Five Hidden Gems of the 'Roof of Honam' for the 2026 Visit Year
- 4The South Korean AI Basic Act: A Boon for Innovation or a Gift to Global Big Tech?
- 5Academic & Artistic Excellence: The Rise of a New "Power Alumna"
- 6New Frontier in Hospital Infection Control: Korean Researchers Unlock Pre-emptive Immune Defense